Lentils are the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. They don’t get much respect*.

Lentils, one of the first crops cultivated by man, have been a food source for over 8,000 years. Through much of that time they have been considered the food of the poor people. In ancient Greece the wealthy would never think of serving lentils to their guests or themselves. One exception was Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who prescribed lentils for his patients with liver ailments. Lentils are most important to the diets of people in the Middle East and in India. Many Indian dishes emphasize the more than 50 varieties grown in that country.

My recipe, below, can be made with whatever lentils look good to you. I use Beluga (black) lentils. The addition of lemon provides a lite citrus scent to the soup. Hope you enjoy!